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S.Bottino
3
Western Illinois WIU 9-24, 2-3 Summit
7
Winner South Dakota USD 9-25, 4-1 Summit
Western Illinois WIU
9-24, 2-3 Summit
3
Final
7
South Dakota USD
9-25, 4-1 Summit
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 9 2
South Dakota USD 3 0 1 3 0 0 X 7 9 1

W: Madison Frain (7-9) L: Hart, Kacyee (2-10)

3
Winner Western Illinois WIU 10-24, 3-3 Summit
2
South Dakota USD 9-26, 4-2 Summit
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
10-24, 3-3 Summit
3
Final
2
South Dakota USD
9-26, 4-2 Summit
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 0
South Dakota USD 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 6 0

W: Ira, Emily (5-10) L: Rachel Cue (1-14)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Softball Splits with Coyotes Sunday Afternoon

Western bounces back from 7-3 loss to take the second game 3-2

VERMILLION, S.D. – The Western Illinois softball team split the final two games of the series at South Dakota on Sunday (April 3). The Leathernecks dropped the first game by a score of 7-3 before bouncing back to take the final game by a score of 3-2. With the decisions, Western moves to 10-24 (3-3 Summit) on the season.
 
"It's disappointing, we always want to win the series but I was really proud with how they came through and finished the third game," said head coach Holly Van Vlymen. "We came out and scored early, and then we held them. Typically when we score early we kind of let the other team back into the game and today that wasn't the case, so I was really happy to come away with that win."
 
Game One: South Dakota 7, Western Illinois 3
 
Karissa Kouchis hit a leadoff single to the pitcher in the top of the first before being forced out at second after Tierney Bottino reached on a fielder's choice. An at bat later, Kelsey Marlow hit an RBI single to score Bottino and give the Leathernecks a 1-0 lead.
 
The Coyotes responded in the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run from Yvon Minogue. A sacrifice fly and an RBI single put USD ahead 3-1 at the end of the first inning. Another sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third gave the Coyotes a 4-1 lead.
 
Sidney Bottino garnered her first hit as a Leatherneck in the top of the fourth to advance Nina Maggio, who singled earlier in the inning, to second, but the two were left stranded.
 
USD would compile two more runs the following inning to give themselves a comfortable 7-1 lead with four innings in the books.
 
Western cut the six-run deficit to four in the top of the sixth. Holly Hoelting smacked a double to center field and advanced to second when Maggio bunted safely. S. Bottino then hit a single to load the bases for Rachel Beatty who drove in two runs with a single down the right field line.
 
Both sides went scoreless in the final inning and a half as the Coyotes went on to take the 7-3 victory.
 
S. Bottino and Beatty led the team with two hits, while Beatty drove in two runs and stole one base. Kacyee Hart got the start and pitched six innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs.
 
Game Two: Western Illinois 3, South Dakota 2
 
Freshman Aly Compton got the bats going for Western in the top of the first with a single up to the middle. She was then brought home when Marlow hit an RBI double to left center, extending her career-high hitting streak to nine games and giving the Leathernecks a 1-0 lead.
 
Emily Ira silenced the Coyotes bats in the bottom of the first, striking out two. Ira would end the day with a career-high 12 strikeouts en route to her fifth win of the season.
 
"I think Emily had a great weekend, she had a nine strikeout game and a 12 strikeout game. We talked after the first game about not allowing those big hits to happen because that's what hurt us in the first game," added Van Vlymen. "We talked about coming back today and not allowing that and I think she did a great job. We had a game plan, we talked about it and we talked throughout the game about what was working, and she bought in and she did a great job."
 
In the top of the second, Hoelting drew a leadoff walk. An at bat later, Maggio hit her third career home run, a two-run shot to center field, to extend WIU's lead to 3-0.
 
The Coyotes cut their deficit to two runs after Sydney Hancock hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second. USD would add one more run in the bottom of the fourth to bring the score to 3-2.
 
Western worked to extend their lead in the top of the fifth when T. Bottino hit a single up the middle and Marlow walked, and in the sixth when S. Bottino hit her third base hit of the game, but the rally fell short both innings.
 
Ira and the Leatherneck defense were able to shut down the USD bats for the remainder of the contest and went on to win 3-2.
 
S. Bottino led the team with three hits as the freshman went five-for-six on the day (.833). Compton also had two hits while Maggio drove in two runs.
 
"Sidney has been really hitting well at practice and we talked after the game yesterday about how well she's been doing and that she's earned a start, so we put her back at catcher today," added Van Vlymen. "She did a phenomenal job at the plate and behind the plate, and she threw a runner out. We were really happy with her performance overall this weekend and I'm very proud of how she's grown, because I know earlier in the season it was kind of a struggle for her and she's really came a long way since then."
 
The Purple and Gold will have a ten-day break from competition and will resume play on April 12 against SIU-Edwardsville in Edwardsville, Illinois. The following weekend, Western will welcome Omaha to Macomb for a three-game series on April 16-17.
 
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